part 2- How to use Peripheral Putting

Look into a mirror and stare at your eyes. As you stare at your eyes, you will still see your shoulders, your ears and neck with peripheral vision. While still focusing on your eyes try to see other objects, further to your sides. This side vision is what we are in pursuit of to create a smooth putting stroke.

After you have read your putt and found your target line, your shoulders must parallel your target line with your eyes over the ball. Set your putter face accordingly to your target line, and this is the last time you will ever think about the putter head. As you stare at your ball, your attention should only be on the triangle. Remember, the shoulders, the arms and hands while gripping the club make the triangle. Your eyes must not wander off the ball’s position at any time while executing the stroke. Even after you have stroked the ball your eyes are still focused on the spot where the ball had just laid.

It doesn’t matter how you grip the putter, the easiest way to learn this stroke is by moving the point of your triangle (point is where your wrists almost meet while holding the putter) back to a position equidistant with your right knee, then through the ball and point to a position equidistant with the left knee(right hand golfer). All the while you must never move your eyes from focusing on the ball’s position. This must be repeated until you finally get comfortable with Peripheral Putting. Shoulders must stay parallel with target line while executing the stroke at all times! There is no need to worry about your putter head or line of putt during execution when your shoulders stay parallel to the target line (fig. N).

Once you are comfortable with Peripheral Putting your concentration will now focus on speed of triangle, which in turn creates your pace on the ball (fig. O). If you maintain a constant speed to the triangle, it will control pace of the golf ball which will control the speed at which the point of triangle moves from knee to knee. Make sure you use the same speed to the triangle regardless of distance to the hole. Longer distance, take a wider stance which will ensure a longer stroke and maximizes distance of roll on the golf ball. Shorter distance, take a narrow stance using the same speed to the triangle and minimizes distance of roll on the golf ball. The smoother the speed of triangle, ball trickle distance will increase. Trickle distance is the point where forward momentum of the golf ball begins to die and where the ball actually stops. Think of it as the distance where the ball starts to die into the hole. The greater the trickle distance, the greater the putter you will become!

For example: Line up your putt just as you normally do…it is very important that once you have set the putter head on your line of putt, all your attention now goes to your shoulders. Make sure that your shoulders are aligned with your line of putt. Stance isn’t important here, just get comfortable. Now stare at the ball, but concentrate your attention on your triangle with peripheral vision. Your shoulders will now control your putter head so there is no need to look at your putter head anymore. Move the point of triangle knee to knee at a pace that coincides with speed of green to create proper distance to the hole. While during your stroke keep your shoulders properly aligned with line of putt and your putter head will automatically travel on the correct line towards the target. Remember, after the stroke to keep your eyes focused at the spot where the ball once laid. This action ensures that your head is stable and your shoulders are on alignment with line of putt during the putting stroke.